Lock clasp



E. VINCENT July ll, 1950 LOCK CLASP Filed March 11, 1949 Patented July11, 1950 oFl-ICE ApplicatonMarch 11, 1949,'Serial No. 80,960

` n France November 1.8.1948,

' 1 6 Claims.

The present inventionhas for its object a clasp designed to locktwoparts together yand applicable lmore particularly to trunks,portmanteaux, Valises, travelling bags, cases and boxes of everydescription.

The said clasp is characterized primarily in that a pin carried by oneof the parts to be locked together and projecting to the outside of thesaid part at right angles thereto has pivoted thereon a casingprovidedon one side thereof with an aperture through which said casing risengaged over a iiX-ed dice-shaped member carried by the other part to belocked `and provided with a boss adapted resiliently to yield inwards asthe dice-shaped member is Acapped 'by the casing and `to be caught by ashoulderprovided on `that inner wail of the casing which is adjacent tothe dice. a y

The casing may advantageously comprise a key-actuated lock the latch orbolt ofswhich coperaties with a stop rigidwith the casing-carrying partfor the purpose of precluding any rotation of the casing,

Further features of the invention will become apparentin the course ofthe following description.

An yembodiment of the clasp according to the invention is shown by lwayof example in the aD- pended drawing.

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the clasp in its closed position.

Figure 2 is a similar elevational view of the clasp in its openposition.

Figure 3 is 'a sectional view of the clasp in its closed position.

' Figure 4 is a sectional view of the clasp in its open position. y

In the example illustrated the clasp is assumed to be tted on aportmanteau comprising a case and a lid and that the said clasp isintended to keep the lid applied upon the case.

A plate I is secured by means of a pair of screws, rivets or similarmembers 2 to the case of the portmanteau. Bearing on the said plate I isthe bottom 3 Iof a first casing that is held in engagement with theplate I by a rivet 4 which at the same time performs the function of apivot pin for the bottom 3 of the plate I. Said bottom 3 is bent at itsedges so as to provide the side Walls 5 and I6 of the casing. The saidside Walls extend beyond the bottom 3 on the one side thereof and arebent substantially at right angles at least at one end of the saidbottom to provide an end wall or at least portions 'I and 8 of the saidend wall. A lug 9 punched substantially `atfriglfit angles from theplate I provides a stop for the side walls 5 and 6 in order to stop theswinging motion of the bottom 3 on the plate in either direction. cSecured by means of .a pair of screws, rivets or like members H on `theportmanteau lid opposite the plate vI is a hollow .dices-shaped memberHi, Saiddice-shaped member is formed with lugs I2 that project throughnotches I 4 cut. in the edge I4 of the plate I adjacent to thediceshaped member I0; in this manner the latter iS able to, clear theplate in the longitudinal direction, of the clasp when Ait is desiredto. lift the lidjrom the case. of the portmanteau; however, saiddice-shaped member cannot move crosswise with respect to the plate I.

Mounted `within the hollow dice-shaped member, a .spring .Strip l5pressed with a boss I6 that projects through an aperture l1 `in the sideWall;v i8 remote .from the plate l. Due to the resiliency of the stripI5 the boss can be cammed clear into the dice-shaped member.

.An .additional casing arranged reversedly With respect. to. the firstone and the bottom 20 of which faces the swingable bottom 3 bears withits side walls 2l and 22 against .the outsdes of the side walls VV5 and6 and with one of its end walls 23 against the .outside of the end wall1e-.8 of the rst casing. The end Wa1l'24 remote from wall 23 engages thewall I8 of the dice-shaped member lil in the closed position illustratedin Fig. 1. In order to enable the second casing 20-2I-22- 23-24 to clearthe dice-shaped member I0, an aperture 25 is cut to the size of saidmember in the side wall 2I of the said second casing. In the closedposition of the clasp as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the wall 5 of the rstcasing engages the stop 9. As the structure composed of the rst and thesecond casings is swung clockwise, the aperture 25 moves clear of thedice-shaped member, and the Wall '6 of the rst casing will come intoengagement with the stop '9 to limit the displacement to the openposition shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The wall 2-4 -of the second casing is formed on its inside Iadjacent tothe aperture 25 with a. portion 26 of increased thickness which in thedisplacements of the casing will slide on the wall I8 of the dice-shapedmember I0. With the clasp in the position shown in Fig. 2 and as thecasing is swung anticlockwise, the second casing with the aperture 25therein will cap the dice-shaped member I0 and the thicker portion 26will slide on the wall I8 until the aperture 25 engages the resilientboss -I 6. As the movement proceeds the a spring through the aperture I1in the dice-l` shaped member.

In order to keep the first and the second cas-y ings assembled, lugs 28and 2S providing exten' sions of the wall 23 are bent twice at rightangles into straddling engagement with the portions 1 and 8 of the rstcasing. Likewise, a lug 30 punched from the wall 2l of the second:casing is received in a notch 3| in the wall 5 of the first casing.

The clasp may advantageously be complemented with a lock of any suitabletype. In the example shown a bolt 32 constituted by a spring strip isarranged in the iirst casing and is formed with a bend 33 to be engagedby a key to be inserted through a hole 36 provided in the bottom 20 ofthe second casing and -guided on a pin 34 carried by the bottom 3 of therst casing. By turning the key in the one direction, the end 35 of thebolt is moved into engagement with that side of the stop 9 which facesthe wall 5, with the result that the latter together with said bolt 32will prevent the casing from being swung; turning the key in the reversedirection will lift the end 35 of the bolt clear of the stop 9, with theresult that the clasp can be manipulated as described hereinbefore.

The embodiment and details of construction described above are givenonly by way of example and modifications may be made therein withoutthereby departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A clasp for locking two parts together comprising a pin carried byone of the parts to be locked together and projecting to the outside ofsaid part at right angles thereto, a casing pivoted on said pin andadapted to assume one position in which said casing extends partly overthe other part to be locked and another position in which said casingextends wholly over the rst part carrying said pin, said casing beingprovided with a shoulder on the inner face of its end wall adapted to bemoved over said second part, and one side wall of the portion adapted toextend over the second part to be locked has an aperture therein, adice-shaped member carried by the second part to be locked and adaptedto be engaged in said casing through said aperture when said casing ismoved about its pivoting pin, and a spring actuated retaining memberprojecting out of said diceshaped member and adapted to yield inwardswhen said end wall of said casing moves over said dice-shaped member andto snap against said shoulder when said casing covers said dice-shapedmember.

.part to be locked and carrying said pivot pin.

3. A clasp according to claim 1, in which said casing comprises twotoplessv housings engaging each other by their side walls, one of saidhousings having its bottom pivoted on said pin and eX- tending only oversaid first part to be locked, while the second housing reversed withrespect to theiirst housing extends beyond said first housing and isprovided with said aperture and with said shoulder.

Ll. A clasp according. to claim 1, further comprising a xed stop membercarried on said rst part to be locked and adapted to cooperate with theside walls of said casing so as to limit the amplitude of the angulardis-placements of said cas- 1ng.

5. A clasp according to claim 1, in which said retaining member is aspring strip secured on said dice-shaped member and having a bossadapted to cooperate with said shoulder.v`

6. `A clasp according to claim 1, further cornprising a fixed stopmember carried on said rst part to be locked, and a bolt slidinglymounted in said casing and adapted toA be moved out of or intoengagement with said stop member when said casing is engaged over saiddice-shaped member so as to allow vor to prevent pivoting of saidcasing.

EUGENE VINCENT.

No references cited.

